1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods for binding pages together, and, more particularly, to such systems and methods for binding individual books.
2. Description of Related Art
A variety of different techniques are known for binding books. At one end of the spectrum is the so-called perfect binding technique used for paperback books. Individual page sheets are bound directly to the inside of the spine of the cardboard cover using a hot-melt adhesive that is solid at room temperature. Perfect binding is suitable for paperback books produced in large quantities. The high-volume machines used for perfect binding are very large and costly and must be set up for each run of books, a time-consuming process that often results in making trial copies that must be discarded. High-volume perfect binding machines are not practical for running single copies of books such as those downloaded from the Internet.
Thermal tape is another means for binding books and is often employed as a finishing operation for high-volume xerographic duplicators. The pages are individual sheets, usually 8½×11 inches, and the covers are cardboard sheets of the same size as the pages. Paper tape coated on one side with hot-melt adhesive forms the spine of the book, and the adhesive is activated as it passes over heated surfaces inside the machine. There is no way to print the title and author's name on the spine unless pasted on in a separate label. While thermal tape is a convenient method for binding small lots of booklets such as college course packs, such booklets do not offer the aesthetic appeal of high-quality bound volumes.
There are various other means for binding small quantities of books using staples, plastic combs, wire spirals, and plastic posts, none of which provides the look and feel of a fine bound volume.
A preferred method for binding books is the traditional cloth binding technique used for hardcover books. The pages are printed on large sheets called signatures, which are then folded, sewed and glued together, and then trimmed. The cover consists of front and back cardboard pieces encased in decorative cloth binding material, which also forms the hinges and outer spine. Cloth binding has advantages of quality appearance, durability, and ease of page turning, since the pages are glued to a flexible inner cloth spine that is fastened to the outer spine only at its edges. Like perfect binding, cloth binding is a high-volume process involving the use of large and costly machines, and is therefore not suitable for binding single copies. There are a few craftsmen who specialize in custom binding or repairing single cloth bound books, but such work is highly skilled and expensive.
At the high end of the spectrum are leather-bound books. Produced by a process similar to cloth binding, leather-bound books offer the ultimate in luxurious appearance.
It is known in the art to heat a hot-melt adhesive onto page edges to bind a book with an external heater. It is also known to heat a hot-melt adhesive coated on an electrically resistive layer applied to the inner surface of a report binder with the use of a power supply. It is also known to use a microwave-activatable adhesive to bind books, with the adhesive placed between a sheaf of papers and the binder. Additionally, it is known to employ individual book-binding apparatus following the printing of a book from a storage medium such as a database.
Although there is widespread interest in methods for binding cut sheets from desktop computer printers into high-quality books, no commercially viable, easy-to-use device has been disclosed.